Bert S. Lechner Digs Into Cosmic Horror & 250 Comma Splices

Cosmic horror author Bert S. Lechner joins Jo Szewczyk ahead of the October 7th release of his debut collection, The Roots Grow Into the Earth — nine occult cosmic horror stories and novelettes, three of them previously standalone Kindle releases. They get into where the Lovecraft obsession actually started (Dungeons & Dragons, not the classics), why titles sometimes arrive before the story does, the habit of jumping between projects when one stalls out, and the 250-suggestion proofread that turned out to be 242 missing commas. Bert also breaks down running his own ARC program through BookFunnel and BookSirens, and the advice he wishes someone had given him before he started: ignore the people who tell you the odds. KEY MOMENTS * Dungeons & Dragons, not Lovecraft's own novels, was Bert's actual gateway into cosmic horror. * The Roots Grow Into the Earth collects nine stories and novelettes, three of which started life as standalone Kindle releases. * A professional proofread came back with 250 suggestions — 242 of them were misplaced commas. * Bert runs ARC copies through BookFunnel and BookSirens to front-load reviews before launch day. THE TAKEAWAY Asked what he'd tell a brand-new writer too shy to start, Bert didn't say "write more" — he said stop listening to people who tell you the odds. He'd been discouraged once by someone telling him to keep writing "just a hobby," and losing time to that voice is what he wants other new authors to skip. Do it in baby steps: one platform, one habit, one story at a time. THE ROOTS GROW INTO THE EARTH A collection of nine short occult cosmic horror stories and novelettes by Bert S. Lechner. Releases October 7, 2023 in ebook and paperback — available now for pre-order. GUEST LINKS Website: bertwriteshorror.com Instagram: instagram.com/bertwriteshorror Amazon author page: amazon.com/author/bertlechner Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/23933748.Bert_S_Lechner The Roots Grow Into the Earth As an Amazon Associate, Empty Hell earns from qualifying purchases. Links above may be affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep the show running. Everything else: https://linktr.ee/Emptyhell